How we dial in a new espresso
Every batch of Ember gets pulled, tasted and adjusted before it ships. Here is the process, in case you want to do it at home.
Ember is built for the bar, which means it has to taste right as espresso before it leaves the roastery. Coffee changes as it rests after roasting, so we dial in every batch two or three days off roast, the same window you will be brewing it in.
Dialling in sounds technical. It is really just three dials and your tongue.
Start with a recipe, not a feeling
We begin every new batch from the same place: 18 grams in, 36 grams out, in about 28 to 32 seconds. That is a normal modern espresso recipe and it is a fine starting point for Ember at home too.
Pull one shot exactly to that recipe and taste it. Do not change anything yet. You are looking for which way it is wrong.
- If it tastes sour and thin, the water rushed through. The coffee is under-extracted.
- If it tastes harsh, dry or ashy, the water dragged. It is over-extracted.
- If it tastes flat and hollow, you are probably in the right place but need fresher coffee or a cleaner machine.
Then move one dial at a time
The grinder is the dial that matters most. Finer grind slows the water down and pulls more out. Coarser speeds it up and pulls less.
For a sour, fast shot, grind finer and pull again. For a harsh, slow shot, grind coarser. Change the grind, not the dose, and only by a little. Re-pull, re-taste, repeat. Three or four shots in, Ember usually lands on something with cacao up front, molasses in the middle and a clean almond finish.
The part most guides skip
Milk hides a lot. We always taste a new batch as straight espresso first, because a coffee that is a little over-extracted will still seem fine in a flat white and then taste bitter the moment you drink it black.
If you only ever drink milk drinks, dial in for the milk. If you switch between the two, dial in for the espresso and let the milk forgive you.
None of this needs a scale that talks to your phone. It needs one decent grinder, a cheap set of scales, and the willingness to tip three shots down the sink before breakfast. We do it every batch. It is the difference between coffee that is fine and coffee you remember.